West Fargo’s child care grants to open spots for more than 100 children this fall

By Wendy Reuer | The Focus

WEST FARGO — This fall, there will be space for more than 100 additional children at child care facilities across West Fargo after the City Commission approved over $300,000 in grants.

On Monday, May 1, the commission awarded $331,868 in grants to 27 child care providers, including 14 in-home providers, eight school-aged centers, three early learning centers and two group-licensed providers. With the grant money, the centers will be able to care for nearly 1,300 children.

The grants were the first of three rounds of funding in which the city will award up to $1 million to eligible child care operations attempting to upgrade their facilities and increase the number of children they can care for.

The grant program was presented earlier this year by Commissioner Mandy George and will be paid for using economic development funds from the city.

Economic Development Manager Casey Sanders-Berglund said the city received 28 applications, and one application was rescinded due to the owner’s reluctance to proceed through the public process. While each application was vetted by Sanders-Berglund, the Economic Development Committee and the City Commission, Sanders-Berglund highlighted three applications for more than $20,000 on Monday.

Summit Child Care, which operates out of a local church, was granted about $49,000 to upgrade its space and install security features at two of the church doors. Summit is licensed to provide child care for up to 75 children but can currently only accept 22 children to the program.

Sanders-Berglund said the upgrades will give Summit the capacity to provide child care for an additional 53 children.

Sheyenne Learning Academy, which recently went through an ownership change, was on the brink of closing under the previous management.

With some assistance from the city and the new owners, the center will receive its full application amount of about $50,000 to replace damaged flooring and infant cribs which must be updated by this fall.

Sheyenne Learning Center serves 115 children from about 97 families.

“Ninty-seven families, that is a lot of children,” Commissioner Mark Simmons said. “I want people to understand what we’re doing for the community.”

Creative Learning Child Care, which also received the maximum award from the city, will use the grant money to renovate its building and create a new space that will allow the center to care for infants.

Creative Learning is licensed to serve 108 children but currently only serves about 80 children from 55 families.

A recent survey highlighted how essential child care access is in recruiting and retaining a strong workforce in West Fargo.

Responses to the survey, distributed to all West Fargo residents, indicated 45% of respondents reported that an adult’s career in their household had been impacted due to a lack of child care. Fourteen percent of respondents noted an adult family member had left the workforce due to a lack of childcare.

Of those impacted, 95% would reenter the workforce if child care became more available and affordable.

In a survey of business owners, it was commonly reported that employees had been lost due to a lack of child care availability.

More information on the program and application process is available for child care providers at www.westfargond. gov/1299/Child-Care-FacilityImprovement-Grant. A second round of applications will open from May 29–June 19.

Readers can reach Forum reporter Wendy Reuer at wreuer@forumcomm.com or 701-241-5530.